Digging or excavating apparatus.



J.. E. WYGKOPP. DIGGING 0R EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 1912.

1,078,234. Patented N0v. 11, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.AT T ORNE Y.

J. E. WYGKOFF.

DIGGING 0R BXGAVATING APPARATUS.

SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1912.

Patented Nov. 11

a SHEETS AT T OR/NE Y.

WITNESSES.

J. E. WYOKOPF.

DIGGING on EXOAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1912. Patented Nov 11,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UDUUUDDDn -WlTNES SE8 1N'VE NT 0R1.

.AT T ORINEY sTArgsPAgENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. WYCKOFF, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WYCKOFF EXCAVATING AND PITCHING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

DIGGING OR EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Application filed April 18, 1912. Serial No. 691,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH E. WYGKOFF, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Los Angeles, in the county of -Los' cavating apparatus, and it may be said to consist in the provision of the novel features and in the novel and improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts, members, and devices in the apparatus as will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.

One object of the invention isto provide a novel and improved construction whereby the digging or excavating device may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally at the rear of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to pr0- vide a novel and improved construction for the diggers or scrapers and the parts coacting therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction for the frame of the dig 'ng or excavating device which permits 0 the frame being adjusted at will.

Further objects of the invention are to provide apparatus of the nature specified which is simple and com act in construction, economical to manu acture and operate, highly adjustable in character, adapted for a comparatively great range of work, strong and durable, and effective in action.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of the preferred form of construction in which the invention may be embodied, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus having the invention applied thereto; F g. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, the digging or excavating device being indicated in changed positions; Fig. 3 is a partial plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a partial plan view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the frame, the main shaft, and parts operatively connected with the main shaft; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 1s a view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a partially broken sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. .5; Fig. 10 is a partial front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 11 is a view taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 13; Fig. 11} is a plan view of a portion of the diggang or excavating device, Fig. 14 is a partial rear elevation of the ap aratus; Fig.

15 is a fragmentary detail 0 the notched handle connected with the off-bearer and adjustably mounted on the frame; Fig. 16 1s a perspective view of one of the digging mem ers; Fig. 17 is aside elevation of one of the digging members, and Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken on the line 1818 of Fig. 1.

The supporting frame 2 may have on the forward part thereof the operators platform 3pand the cab 3, and it may have at the rear thereof the supplementary frame 4.; the frame 2 being carried by the axles 5 and 6 on which are mounted the rear wheels 7 and the pivotally mounted front wheels 8 respectively. The wheels 7 are-preferably made considerably wider and greater in diameter than are the Wheels 8.

At the front of the frame 2 may be mounted the motor 9 whose shaft 10 may have thereon a pinion 11 in mesh with the spur wheel 12 fast on the main shaft 13 which is mounted in suitable bearings 14. on the frame 2.

On extensions 15 and 16, which are preferably disposed to one side of the center of the rear of the frame 2, may be suitably arranged a crosspiece 17 having therein an end bearing 18 for the shaft 13 and also a foot bearing 19 for the upright shaft 20 which latter may also be fitted in a bearing 21 on the supplementary frame 4.

On the upright shaft 20 may be mounted the transverse bar 22 having on the sides thereof the arms 23 in the free end portion of which is mounted the shaft 24 having mounted thereon the inner end portion of the digging or excavating device 25. A bail 26 may be pivotally connected with the shaft 24: and have thereon the handle 27 having openings 28 therein. The shaft 24 and consequently the inner end of the device may be raised or lowered in position by loosening the set screw 29 in the bar 22, and then raising or lowering the bar 22 on the shaft 20. The bar 22 and the inner end of the device 25 may then be locked in the adjusted position by passing a pin 30 through any of the openings 31 in the shr spaced arms 32, which are suitably secured to the shaft 20, and also through that one of the openings '28 in handle 27 nearest in line with said openings 31, and then tightening the set screw 29.

The scrapers 33 or diggers 34 of the device 25 may be pivotally mounted on shafts 35 passing through arms 36 onthe scrapers or diggers and carried by chains 37 which may pass over sprocket wheels 38 on the shaft 24 and over sprocket wheels 39 and 40 respectively rnounted on shafts 41 and 42 which are arran ed at the end and on the underside of the ad ustable frame 43 of the device 25. The scrapers 33 may consist of a plate 44 having on the working edge thereof suitable teeth 45 and the diggers or rakes 34 may consist of a bar 46 having afiixed thereto suit-' able teeth 47. Adjacent to the free end of the arms 36 may be arranged the dogs 48 which may be pivotally mounted on shafts 49 carried by the 'cha'ins'37 and provided at one end thereof with a hook 50 adapted to fit into a notch 51 at the end of the arms 36. The dogs 48 may be oppositely disposed on the chains 37 and opposed dogs are preferably'held in like position by a rod 52 connected thereto. A rearwardly extending arm 53 may be afiixed to the scrapers 33 or to the diggers or rakes 34 and it is adapted tov contact with a part, preferably the shaft 24, on the frame 43 at the dumping point to release the arms 36 fro-m engagement with the hooks 50 of dogs 48 and permit of the free end of the scrapers, diggers or rakes falling back so that said scrapers, diggers or rakes may move face downward and discharge the load thereon. As the arms 53 strike the shaft 24 in passing therearound any material adhering to the scrapers or diggers is knocked off, also the scrapers, diggers or rakes are moved to cause the arms 36 to again engage with the hooks 50 of the dogs 48; the dogs 48 being formed and arranged to incline toward the arms 36 when the dogs are traveling along the upper part of the frame 43, and the scrapers,diggers or rakes are formed and arranged to have the arms 36 held in engagement with the hooks 50 by force of gravity while the dogs are traveling alon the said upper part of the frame '43. T e pressure of the material bein worked on against the working face 55 o the scrapers, diggers or rakes holds the arms 36 1n engagement with the hooks 50 as the scrapers, diggers or rakes move along the under part of the frame 43 to the dumping point; the working face 55 being then preferably substantially at right-angles with the chains 37. The frame 43 may consist of an extensible upper part and an extensible lower part which latter maybe hingedly connected wit-h the shaft 42. As shown, the upper part of the frame 43 may comprise the sleeve 56, the bar 57 having one end portion thereof pivotally mounted on the shaft 24 and the other end portion thereof extend ing into the sleeve 56, and the bar 58 having one end portion thereof secured to the lower part of the frame and the other end portion thereof extending into the sleeve 56; the bars 57 and 58 being provided with screws 59 thereon which pass through a slot 60 in the sleeve 56 and which screws may be tightened to clamp the bars 57 and 58 to the sleeve. The lower part of the frame 43 may comprise the bars 61 and 62 having one end portion thereof pivotally mounted on the shafts 24 and 41 respectively, and the bars 63 and 64 having one end portion thereof hingedly connected with the shaft 42;the other end portion of the bars 61 and 63 being fitted in a slide 65, and the other end portion of the bars 62 and 64 being fitted in a slide 66. The bars 61, 62, 63 and 64 may have screws 67 thereon which may pass through a slot 68 in the slides and 66 and which screws may be tightened to clamp said bars to said slides.

Near the dumping point may be arranged a runway or trough 69 having the upper end portion thereof pivotally affixed to the frame 43 and provided with a chute 70 leading to the receiving end of the off-bearer 71, said trough having the lower end portion thereof movably mounted in guides 72 each suitably secured to the frame 43 and provided with a slot 73 through which the rod on the side of the trough may pass.

The inner end portion of the olf-bcarer71 may be pivotally mounted at the ends of the arm 7 5 suitably secured to the extension 15 of the frame 2, and a bail 76 may be connected with the outer end portion of said off-bearer and have thereon a handle 77 with notches 78 therein into which the pin 7 9 on the supplementary frame 4 may be fitted to hold the off-bearer adjustably in position.

The digging or excavating device 25 may be raised or lowered by means of the cable 80 arranged on the reel 81 on the shaft 82 and passing over the sheaves 83, 84 and 85 and having one end thereof attached to the ball 86 which is pivotally connected with the 7 frame 43.

In order to adjust the device 25 horizontally, the lever 87 may be pivotally mounted on the shaft 20 and provided with a hinge joint 88 whereby the handle end of the lever may be raised and the lever then turned to insert the pin 89 on the underside of the lever into that the h 90 in the sector plate 91 which will give the desired angular adjustment of the device 25 horizontally when the lever 87 is turned to its normal position with the handle thereof locked between the two spaced uprights 92; it being understood that the sector late 91 is fast to the shaft 20 whereby sai shaft and the bar 22 and consequently the device 25 are turned and the latter given the same amount of angular movement as that given to the sector plate when the sector plate is turned by the lever 87.

The shaft 24 may be operatively connected with the shaft 13 as follows: The teeth on the bevel pinion 93, loosely mounted on the shaft 13, mesh with the teeth on the underside of a bevel wheel 94 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 20 and has teeth on the upper side thereof in mesh with the teeth of a bevel pinion 95 which latter is fast on the shaft 96 having thereon a wheel 97 over which and the wheel 98 on the shaft 24 passes a sprocket chain 99. A frictioncone clutch 100 ma be associated with the bevel pinion 93 an consist of the exterior cone 101 on said bevel pinion and the interior cone 102 feathered on the shaft 13. The

101'by means of the yoke 103 on the rod 104 which is connected to the crank 105 fast on the shaft 106 having fast thereon the operating lever 107.

The endless apron 108 of the off-bearer 71 may pass around rollers 109 and 110, and the shaft 111 of the roller 109 may have thereon a wheel 112 over which and the wheel 113 on the shaft 13 may pass a sprocket chain 114.

The shaft 82 may be operatively connected with the shaft 13 by means of sprocket chain 115 passing over the wheel 116 fast on the shaft 82 and over the wheel 117 loose on the. shaft 13'. The wheel 117 may have associated therewith the friction-cone clutch 118, the exterior core 119 being connected to the wheel 117 and the interior cone 120 being feathered on the shaft 13. T0 shift the interior cone 120 into and out of engagement with the exterior cone 119 a yokepiece 121 may be operatively connected with the cone 120 and with the slidable rod 122 which is connected with the crank arm 123 of the operating lever 124. -The cone 119 may have thereon a brakeband 125, which may have one end thereof afiixed to one end of a pivotally mounted lever 126 which has its other end normally held down by a spring 127. On the rod 122 may be arranged upstanding lugs 128 having thereon oppositely disposed pins 129 and 129 the adjacent end portions 130 of which are beveled andv spaced from each other. When the lever 126 occupies the position in the space between the ends of the pins 129 and 129', see Figs. 2 and 5, the s ring 127 acts on the lever 126. to cause the atter to draw the brakeband 125 tightly on the periphery of the cone 119 and thereby the cone and the parts operatively connected therewith are held against movement. When thelever 124 is operated to cause en agement of the cones 120 and 119 of the c utch 118 to operate the shaft 82 to wind the cable 80 on the reel 81 to raise the device25, the end 130 of the pin 129 depresses the end of the lever 126 connected with the brake band 125, see Fig. 7 and thereby the cone 119 is relieved of frictional engagement with said brakeband. In lowering the device 25 the lever 124 is operated to move the rod 122 to move the cone 120 out of engagement with the cone 119 and to have the end of the pin 129 depress the end of the lever 126 connected with the brakeband 125 to sufliciently reduce the frictional engagement between said brakeband and said cone that the latter and the parts connected therewith may allow the device to move downwardly by. force of gravity.-

The wheels 7 may be turned to propel the apparatus either in a forward or reverse direction by operative connections which may be as follows, a shaft 131 may have fast on one end thereof a bevel wheel 132 in mesh with bevel pinions 133 and 133' loosely mounted on the shaft 13 and it may have at the other end thereof a wheel 134 over which passes a sprocket chain 135 which latter also passes over the wheel 136 fast on shaft 137 on which is secured awheel 138 having teeth adapted to fit in openings 139 which may be made in the rim of the wheels 7 Friction-cone clutc es 140 and 140 may be associated with the bevel pinions 133 and 133 respectively, and the interior cones 141 and 141' may be 'shifted into and out of engagement with their exterior cones respectively by the yoke pieces 142 and 142 aflixed on the slidable 143 which is connected with the crank arm 144 on the operating lever 145 suitably ivotally mounted on the shaft 106; it eing understood that when the lever 145tis operated to move the yokepiece 142. to cause engagement of the cones of the clutch 140 ortion the yokepiece 142 is at the same time -moved in the shaft 6 and a pivot pin 149 being passed through said portion 147 and said projection 116.

In order to permit of steering the apparatus While it is being propelled, the Wheels 8 may be mounted on stub shafts 150 which have one end thereof arranged on pivots 151. at the ends of the shaft (3 and have fast thereon arms 152 pivotally connected with a. rod 153 to which is pivotally connected one end of arm 151, the latter having its other end fast on the end of a 'shaft155 bearing in bracket 156 and having thereon the operating lever 157.

\Vhile one form of construction in which the invention may be embodied has been particularly illustrated and described, there are many changes and modifications thereof that will readily occur to those skilled in the art and the right is therefore reserved to all such changes and modifications as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I

Note In the claims, the term scrapers is used'in a generic sense to cover excavators, shovels, rakes, cutters, diggers, forks or the like.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class specified, in combination, a shaft, a frame connected therewith, endless carriers adapted to travel on the frame, scrapers pivotally mounted on the carriers, arms on said scrapers, dogs pivotally mounted on said carriers and adapted to coact with said arms, and arms on said scrapers adapted to coact with said shaft for the purpose set forth.

2. In apparatus of the class specified, in combination, an upright shaft, means for turning said upright shaft, a frame, scrapers carried on said frame, means including a bar mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of said upright shaft for connecting the inner end portion of said frame with said upright shaft, and means to operate said scrapers.

3. In apparatus of the class specified, in combination, a frame, endless carriers adapted to travel on said frame, scrapers mounted on said carriers, means to operate the scrapers, guides on said frame and a trough having the upper end portion thereof pivotally connected with said frame and having the lower end portion thereof movably connected with said guides.

In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a frame, a horizontal shaft extending longitudinally of the frame, an upright shaft at the rear end of the frame, coacting bevel gearing on the horizontal and upright shafts, a bar mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of the upright shaft, arms on the bar, a shaft mounted on the arms and operatively connected with the bevel gearing, a frame having the inner end portion thereof pivotally mounted on the last shaft, scrapers carried on the last frame and operativelyconnected with the last shaft, and adjustable means for supporting the last shaft, substantially as described.

In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of an upright shaft, means for turning said upright shaft, a bar mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of the upright shaft, a shaft carried by said bar, a frame having one end portion thereof pivotally mounted on the last shaft, scrapers carried by the frame, means to operate the scrapers, and adjustable means for supporting the last shaft, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus of the class specified, a horizontal shaft, an upright shaft, coacting bevel gearing on the horizontal and upright shafts, a bar mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of the upright shaft, a shaft carried by the bar, operative connections between the last shaft and the bevel gearing, a frame having one end portion thereof pivotally mounted on the last shaft, and scrapers carried on the frame, said scrapers operatively connected with the last mentioned shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses at the city of Stockton county of San Joaquin, State of California, this 10th day of April A. D. 1912.

JOSEPH E. \VYCKOFF.

\Vitnesses If. S. MILLER, V. OLLnIcH. 

